On September 5, 2018, Tenaris unveiled its newest service centre in Grande Prairie, Alberta, a supply chain solutions base to better support oil and gas customers in Western Canada through its Rig Direct® service offer.
Through this direct-to-customer model, Tenaris synchronizes the manufacturing of pipes with customer drilling operations, delivering products as needed as well as reducing the level of pipe inventories and total costs.
The Grande Prairie service centre is the company’s first greenfield pipe yard in Canada — a $20 million USD, multi-phase investment strategically located to serve operators in the Montney and Duvernay formations with products manufactured from Tenaris facilities in Ontario and Alberta, along with complements from other Tenaris locations.
Joining the inaugural event were senior leaders from government, clients, vendors and institutions including Alberta Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd, Seven Generations CEO Marty Proctor, and University of Alberta Dean of Engineering Fraser Forbes. Local community leaders including Grande Prairie County Reeve Leanne Beaupre, five County Councillors and six Grande Prairie City Councillors attended.
Seven Generations is one of Tenaris’s first Rig Direct® customers in the country. Its CEO, Marty Proctor, spoke about a visit to Tenaris’s seamless pipe facility in Sault Ste. Marie several years ago, where they saw a dedication to innovation and a commitment to quality. “As a customer, we value innovation that helps us go further and quality supplies that keeps us safe,” he added.
The Grande Prairie service centre began construction in 2016 and is now fully operational, handling the storage, inspection, preparation and direct delivery of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) and accessories, while applying the highest standards of quality, health, safety and environment. The 80-acre facility includes a commercial office, pipe inspection facility, maintenance building, storage yard and rail spur.
More than two-thirds of Tenaris’s sales of OCTG in North America are through Rig Direct®, which includes technical consulting, pipe management services and field support.
“The opening of this facility today — connecting with our customers and the community — is truly Rig Direct® in action, bringing together our services across Canada from mill-to-well, from customers to community,” said Guillermo Gabriel Moreno, Tenaris President, Canada.
During the inauguration, Tenaris announced a $500,000 CAD donation to the University of Alberta to bring its DiscoverE program to children in communities where Tenaris has operations including Grande Prairie, Edmonton, Calgary and Estevan. This program offers youth after-school and summer activities based around science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at no cost to their families.
“This investment is another sign of positive momentum in our energy sector. It's providing good jobs and showing why it's vital that our government continues to promote Alberta's oil and gas competitiveness,” said Alberta Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd. “I'm pleased to see Tenaris's commitment to Peace County, and commend them for providing great educational opportunities in our region. This partnership is a win for everyone.”
For more information about Tenaris, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.